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Most of the big agencies are owned by holding companies and those holding companies have run them straight into the ground.
Publicis has done everything they can to wreck Leo Burnett, FCB has been irrelevant for years, Omnicom is trying to destroy DDB and EnergyBBDO in one fell swoop, and does Ogilvy even exist anymore?
I’ve been thinking about this recently. Having worked at both indies and holding companies in different cities- I don’t think indie life should be overly romanticized. It can feel more humane early on and the work can be really exciting, but once scale/vc enter a lot of the same pressures show up. So people first values start slipping and sometimes it honestly feels worse than a holding co because at least there you know the deal. Politics exist everywhere even at indies and it can be weirdly more confusing. At the end of the day in both models you’re replaceable and it’s just packaged differently. Indies shout their culture and ‘we’re different’ stories which can make it easier to overextend yourself (thinking it will get noticed - but most times if they do shout you out it’s just so you can overextend yourself again with little financial reward). It’s just how these systems tend to work. That said I still think getting experience at an indie is really valuable. Grown a lot and also gotten a bit wiser realizing neither model is morally pure.
It’s not just holding companies vs independent agencies. The reason why there’s so much discussion against holding companies because they’re known for not pushing for good work anymore. The agencies that don’t put the work first are failing and no one with the power to change that cares or wants to do anything about it. And there’s enough people in a room to side against the person fighting for creative. The last few places I’ve been, creative ultimately loses or has to compromise and it’s mediocre work. The reason why the only notable agencies you hear about in this bowl are Quality Meats and High Dive is because they’re the only agencies making anything good or fun. Leo is gone. DDB isn’t doing well. Idk what OKRP is really doing anymore. FCB is not good. BBDO isn’t great. CK has been dying. Not sure what TMA has made as of late. It’s the same common denominator.
My agency is also not doing great work. But only because we are afraid someone on Fishbowl will make fun of us if they don’t like it. And, as artists, we are too sensitive. Though I hear there is a cream for that.
Account teams became yes-men and account took precedent over creative.
Started happening about a decade or more ago.
🤨
I thought Okrp had some fun stuff going on
who doesn't like jingles?